Now, as he prepares to play his 150^th senior game for Koroit - a feat achieved with a VFL stint in the middle - the father-of-one is continuing the tradition.

Dobson, 32, loves taking son Henry, 2, to Victoria Park. He and wife Trish are expecting their second child in August.

"I enjoy taking Henry to the footy and it's good to see him get out there and interact with all the other kids," he told The Standard ahead of his milestone match against Cobden on Saturday.

The three-time premiership player - his first Hampden league flag came in 2009 when he was still a teenager - has "been involved in Koroit since I could walk".

"My dad (Brendan) played a lot of footy there, my uncle Damian (the league's games record holder) played a lot of footy as well," Dobson said.

"To be able to help out the club for 150 games is something I'll look back on and be proud of I suppose, being a family club. My grandpa and grandma have been involved there and my mum (Marita) played netball too."

The milestone match was delayed five weeks after Dobson was a late withdrawal before the Saints' round two clash.

He was managing a knee issue. Two byes - a Hampden league-wide one and one for the Koroit Irish Festival - meant Dobson only missed three matches but had five weeks to prepare.

"The start of the season was stop-start with Koroit having an extra bye and I have been really busy with work and I didn't do much, if any, of the pre-season so it was a good opportunity to give a few of the young kids a go, as well as get a bit of fitness in myself," Dobson said.

"I take it game-by-game at the moment. I enjoy the social aspect out at Koroit, there's a pretty good group of friends out there and we've all had kids and my brother (Sam) is involved as well.

"Work (for Bryan and Petersen) is very busy at the moment so it's a good excuse to catch up with everyone and check everyone is doing all right."

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